Exodus 35

Rules about the Sabbath

1Moses brought all the Israelites together. Then he said to them: ‘These are the LORD‘s commandments to you. 2You must work for six days but the seventh day will be your holy day. It will be a day of rest to the LORD. Anyone who works on that day must die. 3Do not light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day.’

Materials for the tabernacle

4Moses said to all the Israelites: ‘This is what the LORD has commanded: 5Take a gift for the LORD from the things that you have. Everyone who wants to give can bring a gift of gold, silver and bronze. 6They can also bring blue, purple and red material, and special white cloth. 7They can bring goats’ hair, red sheep skins, badger skins and acacia wood. 8They can bring olive oil for the light, many different spices, 9onyx stones and other valuable stones. And you will put these stones on the ephod and on the breastpiece.

10Every wise person among you must make all the things that the LORD has commanded. 11Make the tabernacle, with its tent that covers it. Make all the different parts for it, as I have described them to you. 12Make the Ark, with its sticks, its special lid and the curtain that hangs in front of it.

13Make the table with its sticks and all its dishes. Make the special bread that you will put on the table. 14Make the lampstand that will give light, with the lamps and the oil. 15Make the altar for incense with its sticks, the special oil and the incense that has a sweet smell. Make the curtain for the door of the tabernacle. 16Make the altar where you will burn animals as gifts to God. Make all the different tools for the altar, as I have described them to you. Make the very large dish for water and its base. 17Make the curtains for the yard and for the door of the yard. Make the sticks for the curtains and the bases. 18Make the small, sharp sticks and the strong material that fixes the tents to the ground.

19Make the special clothes for Aaron and for his sons to wear. They are priests and they will work for God. This is why they must wear special clothes.’

20Then all the Israelites went away. 21Many of them really wanted to give a gift to the LORD. So they each brought something to offer for the Tent of Meeting. They also brought materials for the special clothes. 22Both men and women brought beautiful things of gold that they had worn on their bodies. They all brought their gold things as a special gift of love to the LORD. 23Everyone who had blue, purple or red material brought it. Also, they brought special white cloth. People who had goats’ hair, red sheep skins and badger skins brought them. 24Those who brought gifts of silver or bronze offered them to the LORD. Everyone who had acacia wood brought it for the Tent of Meeting.

25Every wise woman worked with her hands. She brought what she had made, blue, purple and red material or special white cloth. 26Many wise women began to work. They made the goats’ hair into cloth. 27The leaders of the Israelites brought valuable stones to fix on the ephod and on the breastpiece. 28They also brought spices and olive oil. These things were for the light, for the special oil and for the incense with a lovely smell. 29Many Israelite men and women wanted to offer gifts. They were happy to bring these gifts to the LORD. Moses needed these gifts to make everything for the LORD. That was because the LORD had commanded the Israelites to make all these things.

Bezalel and Oholiab

30Then Moses said to the Israelites: ‘Look! The LORD has chosen Bezalel, who is the son of Uri, and the grandson of Hur. He belongs to the big family of Judah. 31The LORD has filled him with the Spirit of God and has made him very wise. He knows how to make many different things. 32He can make beautiful things out of gold, silver and bronze. 33He can cut and fix valuable stones. He can make things from wood. And everything that he makes is beautiful.

34Bezalel and Oholiab are both wise men who can teach other people. Oholiab is the son of Ahisamach, from the big family of Dan. And God has made them both wise teachers. 35The Lord has given them very wise minds that are full of good ideas. They draw plans of beautiful things, and then they make them. They use many different materials to make lovely things. And they are both masters at their work.’